4. Westbury-27.03.76

THE ARCHIVE FILES > Archive-1976 > 4. Westbury-27.03.76
As an 11 year-old my spotting trips were somewhat dictated by finances. They were usually to Bath, Bristol and, as is the case again here, Westbury. On this occasion, a dull March day, that did not help with the quality of the pictures but a number of Westerns were on-shed so everything has been included.
Click here to search The Archive Files


Images 1-10 of 10 displayed.

D1022 & 47066, stabled, Westbury MPD 
 A very grey light hangs over Westbury Depot that did not help my attempts at photography! Remember, I was using an unbranded 35mm film supplied by Tripleprint 'free' when you sent your film for processing. D1022 'Western Sentinel' looking very sorry for itself stands on-shed at Westbury with 47066 behind it. 47066 was a steam-heat member of the class that spent its early life in the West Country. It went through a number of incarnations and, at the time of writing, it is still extant at Crewe all-be-it in shocking condition and long withdrawn. In the background, just look at those GW lower quadrant signal brackets controlled by Westbury South signal box. 
 Keywords: D1022 47066 Westbury MPD
D1068, stabled, Westbury MPD 
 I visited Westbury Depot many times by just turning up and hoping for the best. I don't ever remember being refused entry or being thrown ignominiously out! During one such visit on a quiet Saturday morning D1068 'Western Reliance' is seen resting between duties. When this picture was taken, D1068 had just seven months left in service. 
 Keywords: D1068 Westbury MPD
D1013, stabled, Westbury MPD 
 D1013 'Western Ranger' pokes its nose out of Westbury's diminutive one-road maintenance shed. This Western was one of the last to be withdrawn following railtour duties on 27.02.77. I think that along with the withdrawal of the Deltics in 1982 the finishing of the Westerns must rank as one of the most significant moments of the diesel era. At the time of writing, it's quite possible that the HSTs will be up there too; thoughts anybody? 
 Keywords: D1013 Westbury MPD
08800 & 46020, fueling point, Westbury MPD 
 At the back of Westbury depot was the fuelling point. Along with some fixed tanks there were also these tankers that were delivered periodically. Here at the fuelling point is one of Westbury's resident shunters, 08800, next to it is 46020. This class 08's claim to fame is that it was modelled by Bachmann in Inter City swallow livery and can still be bought and driven today, but in OO gauge only! 
 Keywords: 8800 46020 Westbury MPD
31193, unidentified Portsmouth Harbour-Bristol Temple Meads working, Westbury station 
 Horribly out of focus but I have included this image of 31193 leaving Westbury with a train from Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads. There is a wisp of steam escaping from the pipes at the front of the locomotive that is in shocking condition. The headcode blinds have been removed to reveal the line of eight illumination bulbs. Notice the up yard starter bracket with its route indicators below the arms. 
 Keywords: 31193 Westbury station
C552, unidentified Cardiff Central-Weymouth working, Westbury station 
 A three-car class 120 Swindon built cross-country DMU leaves Westbury with a service from Cardiff Central to Weymouth. This particular unit, C552, was composed of W51573, W59285 and W51582. I always thought that these units looked a little incongruous with their full-sized four character headcode boxes. They looked better when the boxes were plated over and they had line of three marker lights. 
 Keywords: C552 class 120 DMU Westbury station
1111 & class 50, unidentified up workings, Westbury station 
 I seemed to take pictures from odd positions and angles as a youngster and this is one of them! Two trains side-by-side at Westbury station, to the left, is a Class 205 'Thumper' 1111. This was probably on a Portsmouth Harbour to Bristol Temple Meads working. To the right, a 'Hoover' Class 50 arrives with a London Paddington working. It is actually quite a good thing that it's a grey day with weak sunshine witnessed by the shadow of the mast in the foreground as if there had been blue skies, this particular spot would have been badly backlit! I replicated this view on a visit to Westbury in 2022, whilst the motive power is a little different essentially, the view is the same over forty-five years later, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30023905798/x11-164132-165136-gw-11-11-weymouth 
 Keywords: 1111 class 50 Westbury station
1111, unidentified up working, Westbury station 
 Class 205 DEMU number 1111 leaves Westbury station with a service for Bristol Temple Meads. I liked these units, they were a little different to the usual fare in the West Country and they made great noise! I also liked these versions as they had full width compartments with no corridors. 
 Keywords: 1111 Westbury station
33104, up oil tanker train, Westbury station 
 33104 waits to leave Westbury with an up tanker train. It will probably had originated from Fawley Refinery and could have been going to Bristol Bath Road Depot. 33104 was built by BRCW and introduced into traffic in July 1960 and withdrawn in 1985 being cut-up in 1986 at Slade Green. 
 Keywords: 33104 Westbury station
B578, unidentified Bristol Temple Meads-Weymouth working, Westbury station 
 A class 119 DMU composed of W51064, W59423 and W51092 pauses at Westbury station with a Weymouth working that would have started out from Bristol Temple Meads. It is standing on Westbury's now closed platform 1. There has been discussions about reopening this platform but the figure that Network Rail said that it would cost was quite ridiculous! There was actually a letter published in Rail about this vastly overinflated cost and the possible reasons for it. Needless to say, there was no response from Network Rail! I attempted to reproduce this image on a visit to Westbury in 2024, see.... https://www.ontheupfast.com/p/21936chg/30057314675/x18-andy-former-platform-1-westbury 
 Keywords: B578 class 119 DMU Westbury station

Images 1-10 of 10 displayed.